Parade Ground

The Parade Grounds of Prospect Park have served as an integral part of the Brooklyn community since the mid-19th century. In 1868 the southern Parade Grounds were set aside from the City’s original purchase as a public area for Civil War veterans of New York’s First Division of the Union Army and New York Coast Guard to conduct military exercises away from Prospect Park’s tranquil interior.

Called “one of the most popular resorts in the country” in a Parks Annual Report of that era, Prospect Park was built in an era of rapid expansion, as Brooklyn residents demanded more space for recreation and repose. In 1859, the New York State Legislature, at the request of the City of Brooklyn, authorized the City to select sites for future public parks. Included among the sites selected for park development was an area of lush farmland labeled Mount Prospect Park (later renamed Prospect Park).